Paving machines are used to apply, spread, and compact a mat of paving material relatively evenly over a desired paving surface. These machines are regularly used in construction of roads, parking lots, and other areas where a smooth durable surface is required for cars, trucks, and other vehicles to travel. An asphalt-paving machine generally includes a tractor and a screed assembly. The tractor has a hopper for receiving asphalt material from a truck and a conveyor system for transferring the asphalt rearwardly from the hopper for discharge onto a roadbed. Screw augers may be used to spread the asphalt transversely across the roadbed in front of a screed assembly. The screed assembly includes a screed plate that smoothens and compacts the asphalt material and leaves a roadbed of uniform depth and smoothness.
In order to help achieve the desired uniform depth and smoothness as well as to accommodate different job site conditions and different desired roadbed characteristics, the tractor and the screed assembly may be configured differently based on the requirements of a particular job. Some of the tractor and screed assembly functions that need to be configured differently may include paving depth, angle of attack, etc. However, these adjustments may make setting up the screed assembly at the start of a new operation a time consuming and labor intensive process, leading to inefficiencies. Generally, a shimming plate is placed below the screed plate to prepare the screed assembly for starting a new paving operation, which is further removed when the adjustment is completed. Moreover, the set-up of the screed assembly using such shimming plates is relatively complicated, which may lead to errors in the set-up. These errors may result in defects in the mat such as inconsistencies or discontinuities in the compression of the mat and in the thickness, texture, density and smoothness of the mat.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,238,135 relates to a paver having a chassis and a trailing floating screed which is articulated on the chassis by a pair of tension arms. The setting angle of the screed relative to the ground is capable of being adjusted via actuating cylinders. The screed includes at least one tamper bar that is movable in upward and downward directions by a drive and having a variable number of strokes. Further, the screed has a bottom-side smoothing plate. At least one sensor configured for measuring the setting angle is provided in the vicinity of the rear end of the screed. The sensor is connected to an associated controller which is capable of adjusting the number of strokes or stroke rate of the tamper bar in order to adjust the setting angle of the screed to a predetermined desired value.
However, to setup the screed assembly for a new paving operation every time, there is a need for an improved automated system to minimize any adjustment and calibration errors and to avoid any unintentional omission of steps of adjusting the screed assembly.